The List

THEATER

Beach Blanket Babylon Steve Silver’s effervescent revue of send-ups and showstoppers in which Snow White looks for love in an onslaught of pop-culture lampoons and fantastic hats. Ongoing. $25-$130. Club Fugazi, 678 Green St., S.F. (415) 421-4222. www.beach blanketbabylon.com. — R. Hurwitt

Brownsville Song (B-side for Tray) Kimber Lee's ghost story of a play doesn't fully escape sentimentality or contrivance in its portrayal of a young black shooting victim, but it slyly reveals how quick we are to blame victims and absolve ourselves, how flimsy our efforts have been in telling those victims' stories. Ends next Sun. 100 minutes. $25-$40. Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. (510) 8416500. www.shotgunplayers.org.

— L. Janiak

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time In Simon Stephens’ adaptation of Mark Haddon’s mystery novel, train stations, with their screeches of wheels and glares of light, are just as scary for the audience as they are for Christopher (Adam Langdon), a 15-year-old boy with behavioral and psychological problems. But the show’s real terrors lurk in how easy it is for adults to say “I promise” and not mean it, for them to break the rules they create. Through July 23. Two hours 30 minutes. $55-$225, subject to change. Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St., S.F. (888) 7461799. www.shnsf.com. — L. Janiak

East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player Don Reed shapeshifts his features, body and voice to create his world on Oakland’s East 14th Street in the 1970s, torn between the righteous home of his Jehovah’s Witness stepfather and the continuous party at his pimp dad’s. A hilarious 100-minute coming-of-age tale. Through July 30. $20-$100. The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. (415) 2823055. www.themarsh.org.

— R. Hurwitt It might seem like nothing could be more redundant than to heap further praise on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster, which has still more to teach us — and more to make us shudder — in the Trump era. The devilishly clever hip-hop musical about the nation’s first secretary of the Treasury reminds us that our history was not preordained by some outside force or even by almighty founding fathers, but eked out by the daily, uncertain decisions of flawed, selfish human beings. If Michael Luwoye is merely serviceable in the title role, every other aspect of the national tour lives up to the frothy hype. Through Aug. 5. Two hours, 45 minutes. $100-$868, subject to change. Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St., S.F. (888) 746-1799. www.shnsf.com. — L. Janiak

The Legend of Georgia McBride If you’ve come for the fabulous costumes, “Some Like It Hot”-worthy reveals of men in wigs and campy, lip-synced renditions of pop standards, you’ll get your money’s worth in a few sequences in this Bay Area premiere. But the drag performances are often tentative, and you have to sit through paint-bynumbers kitchen-sink drama to get to them. Ends today. Two hours, 10 minutes. $22 and up. Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. (415) 388-5208. www.marin theatre.org. — L. Janiak

Antenna Theater presents Chris Hardman’s magical mystery tour through the hippie ’60s and the Beat and Cold War past, on a bus ride through the city. Veterans of the era might nitpick, but it’s hard to resist the old clips and ’60s music. Ongoing. $40-$59. Meet at Union Square, Geary Street, S.F. (855) 969-6244. www.magicbussf.com. — R. Hurwitt

Monsoon Wedding There’s nothing subtle about this world premiere musical about a giant transcontinental wedding, and that’s exactly as it should be. Director Mira Nair, who also helmed the 2001 film of the same name, taps into one of the primal joys of live theater: spectacle, the way a show can transcend mere work of art and become lavish event. Ends next Sun. $40-$125, subject to change. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. Two hours, 15 minutes. (510) 647—2949. www.berkeleyrep. org. — L. Janiak

Much Ado About Nothing Elena Wright’s Beatrice on cigars, hawks into spittoons and totes around a jug of hooch from which she takes copious slugs, all with a seemingly endless range of cartoon voices and elastic facial expressions. But her strong performance as Shakespeare’s witty heroine doesn’t entirely make up for a sluggish pace overall in Marin Shakespeare Company’s bluegrass take on the comedy; it’s as if the sloppiness of redneck life depicted has bled into the production itself. Through July 23. $10-$37. Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, Dominican University of California, 890 Belle Ave., San Rafael. Two hours 30 minutes. (415) 4994488. www.marinshakespeare.org. . — L. Janiak A Night With Janis Joplin Channeling the rock star with the aid of a terrific eight-person live band, Kacee Clanton makes ACT’s Geary Theater into a religious revival tent, and the quartet of women playing Joplin’s black musical influences, from Bessie Smith to Aretha Franklin, are just as transcendent. Ends next Sun. Two hours, 20 minutes. $20-$120. ACT’s Geary Theater, 415 Geary St., S.F. (415) 749-2228. www.act-sf.org. — L. Janiak

An Octoroon In playing gleeful havoc with a 19th-century potboiler, Branden JacobsJenkins both makes you laugh at the over-the-top conceits of melodrama and get manipulated by them. What you feel for, though, isn’t just his caricatured characters but the state of our theater, especially as it boxes in artists of color. Through July 23. Two hours 30 minutes. $29-$97. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 6472949. www.berkeleyrep.org.

— L. Janiak The Speakeasy It’s “Sleep No More” without the masks in this walk-through, Prohibition-era theater experience; audiences can play craps and blackjack, sneak through secret passages, quaff period cocktails, take in a dance at a cabaret, then spy on those dancers in their dressing room, via a two-way mirror. A feast for the theatrically adventurous — don’t try to get in without period attire of your own — “The Speakeasy” deserves to be a fixture in the Bay Area theater scene. Through October. Three hours, 30 minutes. $85-$130. Secret venue near North Beach and Chinatown, S.F. www.thespeakeasysf.com.

— L. Janiak Splendour Bring your detective kit to this one, about four women who wait in vain in a mansion, as rumbles and rockets of battle draw near, for a dictator to arrive. Abi Morgan’s play is structured as an endlessly expanding spiral, a set of themes and variations, or elaborations, on a single scene whose fragmentary dialogue thrums with subtext. Through July 23. One hour, 40 minutes. $32-$65. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org. — L. Janiak The Waiting Period The subject is suicidal depression, but there’s nothing depressing about this brilliant solo from Brian Copeland. The 70-minute tale of waiting to get the gun he bought to kill himself is brutally honest, astonishingly funny, urgent, courageous and charmingly told. 5:30 p.m. Today, 17, 23. Free; reservations recommended. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St., S.F. (415) 282- 3055. www.themarsh.org. — R. Hurwitt Walls It's all well and good to support the undocumented and question heinous immigration policy, as the latest from the Tony-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe advocates. But when the agitprop medium and lefty message are already obvious to any audience member who’d self-select to see a show Breitbart has described as a “lesbian illegal alien musical,” what's the point? Various Northern California parks through Sept. 10. 80 minutes. (415) 285-1717. www.sfmt.org.

— L. Janiak

Auden’s musical adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s heartfelt and humorous story about a peasant girl fleeing violence in her home city who rescues an abandoned child who is a member of the ruling class. Ends next Sun. Free. John Hinkel Park, Berkeley. (510) 649-5999. www.aeof berkeley.org.

Crazy Famous The Marsh Discovery Series presents Sharon Eberhardt’s story of a young musician who goes to extremes in search of a great song. Ends Fri. $20-$100. The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. (415) 2823055. www.themarsh.org.

The Dark Room’s Twilight Zone Parody Series Dreams on the Rocks Productions presents its annual stage parody of the popular mystery/suspence television series. Fri.-July 29. $20-$25. PianoFight, 144 Taylor St., S.F. (415) 786-5325. www.facebook.com/events/ 1913512215531599.

Daughter of a Garbageman In Maureen Langan’s comedic solo show about her New York City upbringing in the 1970s, she wonders if hard work really does pay off. Ends Sat. $20-$100. The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. (415) 282-3055. www.themarsh.org.

Dinner Detective Murdermystery dinner show with audience participation. Ongoing. $74.95. Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf, 555 North Point St., S.F. (877) 252-9307. www.the dinnerdetective.com.

Durst Case Scenario The Marsh presents Will Durst’s new solo show looking at post-election America and what lies ahead. Tues.-Sept. 19. $20-$100. The Marsh S.F., 1062 Valencia St., S.F. (415) 282-3055. www.themarsh.org .

Each and Every Thing The Marsh presents the return of Dan Hoyle’s autobiographical solo show about the search for community and connection in a fractured world. Thurs.-Aug. 26. $25-$100. The Marsh S.F., 1062 Valencia St., S.F. (415) 282-3055. www.themarsh.org.

The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga Theatreworks Silicon Valley presents the world premiere of Min Kahng’s ragtime musical adaptation of “Manga Yonin Shosei” by Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama about four Japanese immigrants pursuing the American dream at the turn of the 20th century. Wed.-Aug. 6. $40-$100. Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto. (650) 463-1960. theatreworks.org.

George M.! 6th Street Playhouse presents the musical about musical theater titan George M. Cohan, of “Give My Regards to Broadway” fame. Ends today. $33-$38. 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa. (707) 523-4185. www.6th streetplayhouse.com.

Ghost Limb Brava Theater Center presents the world premiere of Marisela Trevino Orta’s play set in Argentina during the Dirty War and riffing on the Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter telling the story of los desaparecidos. Through July 23. $22. 2781 24th St., S.F. www.brava.org/ all-events/2017/7/6/ ghost-limb.

Hershey Felder, Beethoven Pianist and actor Hershey Felder brings to life the composer, playing some of his most famed works. Ends today. $45-$105, subject to change. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. (650) 463-1960. www.theatreworks.org.

In the Heights Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Tony-winning musical celebrates family and Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood. Ends next Sun. $29-$35. Contra Costa Civic Theatre, 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito. (510) 524-9012. www.ccct.org

Josh’s Brain Improvs The Marsh presents Josh Kornbluth’s new show, a series of improvisations based on his experiences working at the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF and Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Through Nov. 29. $10-$55. The Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia St., S.F. (415) 282-3055. www.the marsh.org.

Lear Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and Theatre Rhinocerous present a musical parady of Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” 1 p.m. Today. Free. Yerba Buena Gardens, 760 Howard St., S.F. (415) 543-1718. www.ybgfestival.org.

A Life on the Open Wave A collaboratively-constructed multi-disciplinary original play about a singing story teller who may be a goddess or may be a struggling actress who is joined by a various

wayward and conflicted characters. Through July 22. $20-$30. Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy St., S.F. oceanwave.bpt.me.

Midsummer of Love We Players adapts Shakespeare’s fizzy, fairy-filled comedy for site-specific performances in Bay Area parks, tied to the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. Today and July 27-30 on Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park, S.F.; July 15-23 at Kennedy Grove’s Live Oaks, El Sobrante. $30-$80. www.weplayers.org.

A Night at the Palace Boxcar Theatre presents an immersive theater experience set in a Prohibition-era nightclub. 8:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Fridays. Ongoing. $95. Palace Theatre, secret location revealed to ticket holders day of event. S.F. thespeakeasysf.com.

The North Pool Dragon Theatre prestents Rajiv Joseph’s psychological thriller about a Syrian-born student in the U.S. accused of crimes he may or may not have committed. Ends next Sun. $27-$35. 2120 Broadway, Redwood City. (650) 4932006, Ext. 2. dragonproduc tions.net.

Secret Improv Society Comedy improv. Ongoing. $15. Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter St., S.F. (415) 699-8744. www.improvsociety.com.

ShortLived PianoFight’s

long-running audience-judged playwriting competition returns for the sixth time. Through Aug. 5. $18 and up. PianoFight, 144 Taylor St., S.F. www.pianofight.com. Tarzan Berkeley Playhouse presents a stage adaptation of the Disney classic with book by David Henry Hwang and score by Phil Collins. Through Aug. 3. $22-$40. Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley. (510) 845-8542, Ext. 351. www.berkeleyplayhouse. org. Tender Napalm Anton’s Well Theater Company presents Philip Ridley’s exploration of sexual love and loss. Fri.-Aug. 5. $17-$20. Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St., Oakland. (510) 368-0090. www. antonswell.org. Un-Scripted Theater Improvised Comedy “Dash Improv,” an hour of improvised comedy, runs at 10 p.m. Saturdays, ongoing. $10. 533 Sutter St., S.F. (415) 332-8738. www. un-scripted.com. Vignettes On Love PlayGround and Noise Pop present David Steele, Victoria Chong Der and Davern Wright’s multimedia play based on the writings of David Steele. Through July 30. $25-$55; Thurs.-Fri. previews are pay what you can. Portrero Stage, 1695 18th St., S.F. (415) 9926677. www.playground -sf.org/vignettes. What You Will Pear Theatre presents the world premiere of Max Gutmann’s ‘Shakespearean travesty,’ a new work constructed by rearranging snippets from Shakespeare’s work into a new plot rife with kidnapping, cross-dressing and adultery. Ends next Sun. $10-$35. 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View. (650) 2541148. www.thepear.org. Winter Central Works presents Julie Jensen’s searing, compassionate, and humorous examination of the end of life and the unconventional path one woman takes to get there. Sat.-Aug. 13. $15-$30. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. (510) 558-1381. centralworks.org. World Fringe Day EXIT Theatre opens its doors as part of a worldwide celebration honoring participants in fringe theater, both on stage and off. 5-7 p.m. Tues. Free. 156 Eddy St., S.F. www.facebook.com/ events/1021390877997046.